Director, Print Supply Operations Job at Great Minds (Washington)

Job Description

Reporting to the Chief Business Operations Officer, the Director, Print Supply Operations owns the end-to-end print strategy and execution for Great Minds. This role is accountable for both the strategic plan and day-to-day operation of the print ecosystem—from RFQs and purchase orders through manufacturing, delivery, and vendor performance management. The Director will ensure that printed instructional materials are produced to the highest quality standards, delivered on time, and sourced cost-effectively, while sustaining a high-performing supplier and paper network capable of supporting demand volatility, large state adoptions, and long-term growth. This role operates with enterprise-wide scope and at the leadership level, serving as the executive owner of print manufacturing, cost, and risk outcomes.

Job Responsibility

Define and own the multi-year print manufacturing strategy aligned to Great Minds’ growth plan, state adoption pipeline, and margin targets
Own the full print lifecycle, including RFQ development, vendor quoting, cost analysis, purchase order execution, production oversight, and final delivery
Ensure accurate translation of demand forecasts into print orders, reprint schedules, and production timelines
Establish and continuously improve operational processes, controls, and documentation governing print execution
Serve as the escalation point for production issues, schedule risk, quality defects, or delivery failures
Provide leadership representation at company and vendor meetings for print capacity planning for all major state adoptions, with authority to commit suppliers and capital ahead of demand
Define and manage the print supplier portfolio, including primary and secondary printers
Establish and maintain working relationships with paper mills to support pricing strategy, supply continuity, and risk mitigation
Lead competitive RFPs and strategic sourcing initiatives, including contract negotiation and supplier selection
Recommend and execute near-shore/off-shore and capacity-reservation strategies to protect revenue during peak cycles
Develop contingency strategies for paper availability, capacity constraints, and market disruption
Own enterprise print risk management, including supply continuity, paper exposure, geopolitical risk, and disaster recovery planning
Ensure all printed products meet or exceed Book Manufacturing Institute (BMI) standards and Great Minds’ internal quality requirements
Maintain deep technical expertise in K–12 instructional print specifications, including trim sizes, binding methods, paper types, durability requirements, and accessibility considerations
Travel periodically to domestic and international manufacturing sites to audit quality, review processes, and strengthen supplier relationships
Partner with Quality Assurance and Production teams to address root causes of defects and drive continuous improvement
Own senior-level relationships with print suppliers and paper partners, holding vendors accountable to cost, quality, and service expectations
Lead structured QBRs focused on performance metrics, forward capacity, cost trends, and improvement initiatives
Resolve chronic or systemic vendor issues while maintaining long-term, collaborative partnerships
Represent Great Minds in executive-level negotiations with strategic suppliers, paper mills, and manufacturing partners
Partner with Demand Planning, Sales, Finance, Product Management, and Warehouse Operations to align print execution with revenue forecasts, margin targets, and fulfillment plans
Provide clear visibility into print costs, risks, and capacity constraints to support executive decision-making
Establish and monitor KPIs related to cost, service, quality, supplier reliability, and inventory outcomes
Own print-related gross margin performance, with direct accountability for cost structure, yield loss, obsolescence risk, reprint economics, and supplier pricing outcomes
Create and own a portfolio of margin-improvement initiatives as part of continuous improvement efforts, including spec optimization, vendor consolidation, and paper strategy
Partner with Finance to forecast and explain print cost variance at the executive and leadership levels
Serve as executive incident lead during print-related business continuity events

Requirements

7+ years of hands-on experience in print operations within K–12 educational publishing
Experience leading teams and managers within a complex manufacturing or supply chain environment
3+ years managing an annual budget of $50M – $100M annually
Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of the print production process, from RFQs and POs through delivery
Deep working knowledge of BMI standards and instructional print manufacturing best practices
Proven experience managing printer, binder, and paper mill relationships
Willingness and ability to travel to manufacturing sites as needed
Strong leadership, negotiation, and executive communication skills
Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and execution levels in a fast-paced environment
Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, operations management, or a related field required

Nice to have

Experience supporting large state adoptions and BTS-driven demand cycles
Experience navigating paper market volatility and supply constraints
Recognized subject-matter expert in K–12 instructional print manufacturing at scale
Master’s degree preferred

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Director, Print Supply Operations

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